Guardian of Spirit
by LadyofBone
Summary: Pitch is back, and has found a new and faster way to regain his strength. With his sights set on a perfect little nightmare for his collection, who will be there to stand in his way? A new guardian who was not created, but born.
1. chapter 1

The night was crisp, air nipping at whatever came into its path with the late fall chill that had settled into the air. Pitch held himself high while strolling through the dense, darkened forests, what few nightmares he had left whispering past him to give chase on any of the animals that dared come out of their dens. Since the horrid defeat that had been dealt to him by the Guardians the Boogeyman had been terribly weakened and needed an easy power source to jump start the fear again. What few animals that braved the oncoming winter cold would be more than enough to replenish his precious nightmares again. Golden eyes trailed over the beauty of the black forest. Oh how the King of Nightmares wished that more places could be like this. Dark, quiet and full of awaiting fear to be awakened.

A flash of movement suddenly caught Pitch's eye, drawing his attention in the direction of the foreign shadow. He turned easily on his heel, strolling over the tree roots and dying grass. The Boogeyman had heard stories of an entity possibly living within these forests, supposedly being a sort of embodiment of the forests' spirit and nearly just a step down from Mother Nature herself. A twinkle of excitement sparked within Pitch's eye, a wide grin spreading over his lips. A source such as that would practically overflow his power, and create such a lovely nightmare to prance at his side! The shadow suddenly moved, bringing the grin into an even more sickening smile.

"Tut, tut. You won't escape from me so easily" He whispered under his breath, a hand raising to send his nightmares in hot pursuit of the strange entity. The shadow horses brayed and lunged into a charge after the smaller form with their master right behind them. Unfortunately for Pitch, this figure was a bit more tricky to catch than intended. It moved with such speed, dodging through the trees and leaping over obstacles faster than the nightmares could keep up.

Growling in desperation, the Boogeyman drew back his black sanded bow, aiming the arrow high where it was let loose to strike a large overhanging tree branch. There was a shrill cry that cut through the air as the arrow struck the intended target. Pitch laughed in triumph, but it was soon turned into growls of confusion and frustration. Once upon where the branch had fell, yes there was a small trail of blood but the entity was nowhere to be found at its end.

"Find it! I want it found before sunrise!" the Kind of Nightmares roared, sending the horses scattering throughout the forest in search of the target and other animals that could be reverted into more of their kind. A cold rush of air traveled through the forest, sending Pitch's heavy breath to fog in his worsening anger. He must rebuild his power! Rebuild it so that vengeance would be served on those who had dared to send him back to those dark pits!


	2. Chapter 2

Bunnymund gave a harsh shiver as he pushed the doors to Santa's workshop open and stepped in, out of the freezing cold outside. Why did the old Russian have to call these meetings at the worst time of the year? The bustle of the hard working yeti's made the Pooka's ears twitch back and forth, noises of hammers and the language the hairy beasts used registering familiarly.

"What's the matter cottontail? Catch a little chill out there?" Jack teased, having perched himself on a nearby desk. He, Tooth and Sandman had already made it there just minutes earlier but the younger guardian could never resist teasing the over grown rabbit.

"Shut up Frostbite. Not all'a us were made for this bloody weather" Aster retorted, brushing off the snow that had decided to stick to the ends of his fur. He was built for the nice, warm air of springtime not the cold, harsh winters.

Sandy interrupted the two by stepping between them with a blur of several different images appearing over his head, directing their attention to the ray of moonlight that was showing through the roof of the workshop.

"Yes Sandy, Man in Moon has decided that time has come for new guardian to be joining us!" North stated heartily to the others.

"That's great, but I thought we defeated Pitch" Tooth spoke up, averting her attention from the flitting fairies that were darting in and out of the room.

"Is true, we did, but somehow Pitch has returned and is gaining power more and more by passing day" the older man replied, large, tattooed arms crossed over his barreled chest. The others glanced to one another, thoughts seeming to hang in the air. How would the Boogeyman, who they had defeated a long while back now, be gaining power so quickly?

"Alright, then I'll be the first ta'ask. Who's this new guardian?" Bunnymund piped up, arms crossing. North smiled proudly.

"You will see. Yetis will return very-" North began before a portal opened and two of the larger beasts fell through, gasping tiredly for air. The rest of the guardians could only stare in confusion at what had just happened. Didn't the yetis have a high success rate when it came to these things? After all, Jack had the experience to prove so.

"Guess this means the new guy isn't sack friendly" Jack mumbled, eyebrows raised as both yeti's grumbled and cursed at each other in their language while gathering themselves up off the floor. North seemed to converse with the two for a few minutes before turning to the others.

"Yetis say that guardian refused very firmly not to be stuffed into sack and tossed through portal. My friends, we must go!" he announced sternly, his large fists planting themselves upon his hips. The rest of the guardians exchanged concerned glances. If the yetis had ran into problems then what could they expect?

Once through the portal, the group gazed at their new surroundings. Tall trees stood around them, their trunks a dark brown and the leaves showing the obvious signs that fall was beginning to move into its later stages. The sun was beginning to slowly set, giving them enough daylight to see where they were going without tripping or causing too much of a ruckus. Bunnymund's ears twitched back and forth cautiously as he took near the flank.

"Oh my, where exactly are we?" Tooth asked, her wings beating rapidly as the fairy turned herself in a circle.

"Is one of thickest forests in U.S, one of many places they stay" North replied, examining the surroundings thoroughly. There was a certain feeling that resonated in his belly that told the older guardian that they were being watched. Signs above Sandy's head seemed to voice the feeling.

"Yeah, I agree with ya Sandy. Ah'don't think its just the animals that's watchin' us" Bunnymund replied to the dream guardian. They all seemed to feel this, eyes darting as they continued to walk deeper into the awaiting forest.

Indeed they were right about being watched, but none of the guardians had ever thought of the possibility of looking up. Bare feet moved cautiously along some of the thicker branches that laced together in the high middle sections of the trees, keen eyes watching every movement the group made. Who were these people? They had similar scents to the man that had invaded the forest only a few nights ago, but of course each having their own to set them apart. They must have been the ones to send the large creatures through a few minutes ago.

Quickly, and soundlessly, she moved through the branches, all while being careful of her right leg catching too much weight. There must be a way of getting them out of the forest. Deep in thought however, she forgot about her leg. She gave a low hiss of pain when it slipped out of reaction and caused a smaller branch to snap under its weight. Cursing at her position being given away, she attempted to run across the branches, only to be greeted by a boy with white hair.

"Hello, you wouldn't happen to be who we're looking for would you?" he asked, thoroughly startling the girl who hastily started to back up, once again forgetting about the lameness of her injured leg. The mistake caused her balance to shift, sending the figure over the branch and toward the ground.

Jack gave a low curse at the mistake, calling on the wind to allow him to shoot down toward the ground in attempt to save the falling girl that the others could only helplessly watch plummet. Much to their surprise, however, instead of hitting the hard grass she turned in mid-air, almost cat-like, and caught on a branch before letting herself swing down safely to the ground.


	3. Chapter 3

One. Two. Three. The seconds seemed to tick by like hours on the clock as the group and the figure beneath the tree stood starring at one another, both parties shocked and letting what had just happen sink in. She, however, seemed to recover much faster than the rest of them. Without another second of hesitation, the female suddenly bolted.

"We got a live one!" Bunnymund cried, leaping onto all fours as he, Jack, Toothiana and Sandy gave chase to the quickly disappearing figure. North on the other hand, having faith that the group would be successful in their hunt, decided it best if he went back to the pole and prepared the induction ceremony.

Adrenaline pumped its way through her veins, ears drumming with fear as she sprinted across the cold grass of the thick forest floor. Thoughts of who these strangers could possibly be, or what they wanted frantically crossed her mind. Were they with the dark figure that had came into her forest the night before and caused the injury that currently throbbed with pain throughout her entire leg? She hadn't given it enough time to find out and frankly considering the results of many other run-ins, the poor female didn't want to.

Out of nowhere there was suddenly a large hole in the earth, barely giving the spirit time to leap over it just as a large, furred hand shot out and nearly grabbed her ankle. Once over, she didn't waste time leaping for the nearest reachable branch, hauling herself into the safety of the trees. If there was one hole, what if more popped up that she couldn't react to? Slowed down by the increasing pain in her leg, the female continued her flee, swinging from branch to branch, leaping through the trees like a squirrel.

Home. She had to get back to the safety of her thicket!

"Hey wait! Stop!" a male's voice suddenly came through the leaves, the same one that had been able to fly up and spook her. Nearly before she could react his figure popped up directly in the path of the next tree. Her speed never decreased however, instead choosing to charge straight at the boy floating in the air, managing a clumsy, horizontal flip over his head where she just managed to grab onto a branch.

 _CRACK!_

The wood gave way to her weight, sending the girl tumbling toward the hard ground. The fall would have been easily landed, and it was, that is until the injury to her leg made her buckle beneath the hot streak of pain. No! She couldn't stop here! Determined to keep going, she forced her body to comply, ears perking toward the sound of her pursuers not far in the distance. Pressing on for what seemed like forever, keeping close to the ground to prevent being found, the sight of her home finally came within view.

The opening was small, just big enough for her to slip through, the scent and safety of the thicket surrounding the female's quivering, chilled skin as the adrenaline rush slowly started to wear off. The various furs, moss and other bedding materials were a haven of comfort as her body nearly collapsed onto them. She would lay low here until either they had gone or the injury to her leg stopped its horrid protesting.

"Here! The scent ends over here!" A deeper voice cut through the silence within the thicket, her eyes widening in realization that they were right outside, and there was nowhere left to run.

"Looks like something I see deer hiding in" the young man that could fly stated. There was the soft sound of the earth beneath someone's feet but then they paused. Sitting up, the terrified female scooted to the back of her den, eyeing the entrance with anticipation through the darkness, the light from dusk having already disappeared in the shortening days.

"Um, hello? We know you're in there somewhere. We're just here to talk" the boy said, his voice cutting softly through the black, the silhouette of his head peering into the thicket barely visible despite her eyes being able to adjust easily. The girl decided against answering, not trusting them.

"Manny sent us to bring you back to the Pole. We aren't here to cause trouble dear" A female's voice, and the gentle, rapid beat of wings, added. Her ears suddenly perked with newly found interest. Manny? The Man in the Moon had sent them? But what if they were lying to draw her out? She hadn't had a lot of experience with other spirits since most of them didn't see her as anything significant. Curiosity got the better of her.

The small group outside waited patiently once they heard the sound of rustling from within the large gathering of thorns, vines and branches. Bunnymund pulled Jack by his hoodie, giving the figure that emerged space so they would possibly not be spooked like before.

"Man in the Moon sent you? Why?"

Bunny's ears perked at the soft, smooth female voice that almost whispered through the darkness of the forest. He squinted, trying to gather a face to match with the tones. Jack and Tooth seemed to just be relieved that she hadn't made a run for it yet.

"That's right. He's chosen you to be a guardian" Toothiana said, attempting to keep her excitement at a reasonable level to prevent spooking the other female.

A guardian?


	4. Chapter 4

Their eyes took a moment to adjust from the darkness of the forest to the bright light of the workshop. The girl that had came through with them stood starring in awe and wonder as flying toys zipped passed their heads, and the yetis continued their busy schedule to prepare for the oncoming holidays. It was then that the small group could have a proper look at the spirit that had given each of them quite the run for their money.

Compared to Bunnymund, the top of her head just reached his collarbone, with a small, slender build that at first glance appeared almost bony but upon closer inspection, toned muscle was prominent. This was covered by a slightly tattered, low cut top which was tied at the front, and bound with a worn ribbon just under the bust, and left the mid-section exposed due to its ripped angle. The skirt was long, yet only covered the front and buttock area, leaving her legs completely free and held snugly to her hips.

"This...is the pole?" her small voice spoke up after a moment, turning to look toward Bunny, Tooth, Jack and Sandy in amazement, her long, dark brown hair falling in gentle waves against her fair skinned lower back.

"Yup. North's workshop in all of its glory" Jack stated as he and the rest strolled forward, their guest slowly following, still gawking at her surroundings. She became so caught up trying to take everything in, the girl hadn't watched where she was going and bumped into one of the yetis.

"Oh! Ah, sorry!" she exclaimed, not knowing what to do when it started to chatter in a strange language that she had never heard before. Normally talking to animals was a walk in the park but this was something completely different!

"Easy Phil. Sheila's new t'the place" Bunnymund intervened, placing a paw on her shoulder before directing the dumbstruck spirit back toward their original destination, the Globe, which flickered with the little lights of the children.

"Ah! You have all returned!" North chuckled once catching sight of his fellow Guardians, however once his eyes rested on the face he desired to see, the old Russian gave a wide smile, "Alese! Good to see you! Has been far too long my girl"

The others turned to look at the female, known now as Alese, only to see her head cocked slightly to the side at the sound of the tall man's words. Had she met him before? Yes, who didn't know of Santa Claus, but North acted as if they had actually met. Seeming to notice this, North let a heavy hand weigh on the girl's shoulder, pulling her toward the globe.

"You were just wee little girl when I last saw you and your father. Tell me, how is the old buck?"

Alese's flinch at the mention of her father was far too noticeable as her gaze fell to the floor beneath her bare feet.

"He...joined my mother around 200, or so, years ago" her voice was barely above a whisper, however avoiding the details as best she could. North's happy expression wavered slightly until clearing his throat and attempting to change the subject to something more uplifting.

"He would be proud to know that his daughter has been chosen as next Guardian!"

Alese's head snapped up to stare at the russian in disbelief. _This_ was why Man in the Moon had summoned her here? But the only time another guardian was chosen, was whenever the balance was in danger by something stronger than the current number. On top of that, what could she have to offer? After all, she was nothing more than a minor spirit.

"But-" she was just about to voice these questions whenever the large blue-grey rabbit, most likely the Easter Bunny, hopped forward with his own protests.

"Now hold on a minute mate. Why would MiM choose a minor forest spirit of all people, t'be a guardian?" he stated harshly, basically putting her doubts into words she could barely muster.

"Bunny!" the tooth fairy spoke up, zipping forward to chastise the rabbit.

"No, no he's right" Alese stated, making even Bunnymund stare at the female in slight shock for agreeing with him, "I'm nothing more than a minor spirit even in comparison to Mother Nature herself. What would I have to offer the Guardians?"

North listened to all of this patiently as usual, his chest rumbling with a deep chuckle toward their flustered expressions. They truly had not known her linage as he had.

"How you view self is in the eyes of you alone Alese. However, to others, they do not know who mother and father were, do they?" the older guardian stated with a reassuring squeeze to her shoulder but then came to stand in front of the female, "Now, what is your center?"

Ok, nowshe was _completely_ confused.

"Center?"

"Yes. Your Center is what makes you a Guardian, what you protect in children" North explained, the rest still watching patiently, listening to the russian continue to explain about each of their Centers. Alese could barely grasp how she was suppose to figure out something so important through nothing more than what she had done most of her life. It could be _anything_! She began to feel dizzy, and her leg suddenly felt warm, almost wet.

"Ah, North.." Jack attempted to speak up, trying to break through the old man's lecture subtly, however only Bunnymund, Tooth and Sandy seemed to hear his voice, following the Guardian of Fun's gaze. Blood trickled in beads down Alese's right calf, forming a tiny pool at the base of her heel. Had she had that this entire time? In all the excitement they hadn't even noticed, nor had the young spirit showed any signs of being in pain.

"Oh, Alese you're hurt!" Toothiana exclaimed, flitting toward the wavering female, gently taking hold of her arm so the fairy could guide her to sit on a nearby workbench. This finally grabbed North's attention, his eyebrows raising toward the sudden actions of his companions.

"Hurt? Why you not mention this from beginning?" he asked, yelling at one of the yetis to go fetch a first aid kit.

"To be honest, I forgot all about it" Alese admitted, watching as Jack perched himself on top of his staff, Tooth occupying her worry with the girl's long tendrils of hair. A sudden soft touch to her foot made the female spirit jerk despite the resulting pain, glancing down to see the Easter Bunny, explained to be Bunnymund by North in his lecture, trying to examine the injury.

"Hold still ya'gumbi" he grumbled, taking a wash cloth that was offered with a pan of water from Phil to dab at the opened wound. The Pooka's eyebrows raised however, once spying little specks of black sand in the dribbles that he wiped away. It couldn't be.

"Sandy, is this…?" his words trailed off, gazing at the other guardian as Sandman gave a nod of confirmation. Pitch. Bunnymund looked firmly up to Alese.

"How did you get this?" he asked, elevating her leg slightly to slow down the flow to the limb.

"Last night, the forest was attacked by a tall, dark man that wielded these strange looking creatures. They were terrorizing the forest, going after anything that moved, but before I could make a move to do anything, he turned his attacks on me. I ran, but then this black arrow came out of the sky and hit my leg" She explained hesitantly, the muscles in the directed leg twitching every once in a while when Bunny would brush a sensitive area. She wasn't use to being touched in any way, but as much as Alese wouldn't admit it, this felt kind of nice minus the hole in her leg.

"Wait, you said this all went down last night?" Jack spoke up from his perch, brows furrowing together inquisitively. Was this how Pitch was gaining power at such a rapid pace? It had to be! They all glanced at one another, seeming to have the same train of thought. He was starting small this time, and at this rate, it would be no time before the Boogieman had enough energy to overtake all of them.


	5. Chapter 5

The induction ceremony was fairly similar to the ones before it, mainly consisting of loud horns and celebrations from the elves and yetis as North read off the oath to Alese. Quite frankly, as nice as it all was, the young spirit would have rather had everything _but_ the music and shouting. It hurt her sensitive ears. Thankfully it didn't last long afterword as the crew set back to work preparing for the oncoming holidays.

"How does it feel Alese? Being a guardian?" North asked with his usual jolly attitude, a heavy hand once again placing itself on her shoulder. She stood there for a moment, thinking over her words carefully.

"I'm not entirely sure. It's a great honor, but I'm still not sure why Man in the Moon chose me. What am I suppose to protect when you guys have it mostly covered already?"

"This will be revealed in time. Come, we will have room prepared for your stay" North replied, however when his hand attempted to lead the female in a desired direction, it was like trying to move a cement block. She had steeled herself to the spot, eyebrows furrowed toward the large man.

"Stay? What do you mean?" she asked suspiciously, taking a step back from his hand.

"Is too dangerous to go back to forest with Pitch lurking about" North started to explain, Tooth flitting to hover in front of the taller female.

"We just don't want something bad happening to you. We were able to bandage it up but what if he manages-"

"You don't understand" Alese interrupted firmly, "I can't leave the forests unattended. What if he comes back and I'm not there to stop him or at least slow him down until you get there?"

The others exchanged looks of concern. She had a point. A spirit couldn't just abandon their duty for the sake of their own safety, whether they were believed in by children or not. What to do now?

"Well, how about one of us go with her for a few days?" Jack spoke up, the suggestion bringing Sandy to eagerly nod his approval.

"How about Bunny? He's not busy for the moment since Easter isn't for another six months" Toothiana suggested, although this earned a very nasty look of disapproval from the pooka.

"Aw no! I'm _not_ babysitting! Have snowflake ova'there do it!" he protested.

"Of course you can! Jack must tend to upper east coast, Tooth must guide fairies, Sandy is busy with dreams" the jolly russian chuckled, patting his own belly, "And _I_ , must prepare for Christmas. What are _you_ doing?"

Bunnymund found his normally sharp remarks suddenly jammed in his mouth, unable to speak a retort. A chilly hand planted itself onto the rabbit's shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'll be done within a couple days then I'll be there" Jack attempted to reassure his friend, smirking at the grunt that was returned. North marched over to the control panel and picked up one of his snow globes, calling forth a portal. Alese took a small step back. Even though it had been voluntary, the spirit hadn't been fond of the Topsy-turvy feeling that had been left in her stomach when walking through the one before.

"I don't think so mate. If I'm the one babysitting, we're traveling my way" Bunnymund stated, apparently not being a fan of the large, colorful portals either. Reaching out, Bunny gestured for Alese to come closer, the female spirit cautiously doing what she was told, although kept a safe two foot distance from him. Two taps from a large hind leg suddenly opened a hole beneath their feet. The next thing Alese knew, she was sliding rapidly through what seemed to be a large tunnel filled with slippery moss, her shock preventing the spirit from screaming,her limbs, instead, curved in on themselves. She wasn't sure which way of travel was worse, the portals or an endless tunnel!

Her body was suddenly flying up into the air, the tunnel having came to an unexpected end. The fall down was suddenly halted by two strong, soft arms that caught the female before she could twist to land herself. Instinct kept her in the curled position she had taken on the way there. Never again would she travel any other way but hers!

"Awe c'mon, wasn't that bad was it?" Bunny asked, placing the Forest Spirit back onto the soft grass, their eyes adjusting to the darkness that surrounded them. He watched Alese dust herself off, minding her bandaged leg.

"I prefer my way of travel to be honest" she replied, straightening herself to look up at the taller male that peered down at her. Quickly looking away, Alese began the trek through the familiar area they had landed in, allowing her nose to take in the familiar, damp scent of the dew that had fallen upon the chilled grass and fallen leaves. It was always pleasant to take a stroll under the moonlight, even if there wasn't much of it, listening to the rustling of what animals hadn't went into hibernation.

"So what exactly do ya'do?" Bunnymund finally asked, sticking close to the female as his large ears twitched at every little sound around them. How could she not find this place creepy? Then again, this _was_ her home.

"I protect and tend to the forest. I make sure the animals are kept safe, and that the trees are growing properly. If I'm not here, the forest could fall ill and eventually die away to nothing, which would mean all the animals would have nowhere to go, and would eventually fade too" she replied, glancing to up at the taller pooka who followed right at her heels.

Bunnymund's eyebrows rose. How could she be labeled as a minor spirit with a job so important? If anything it was just a step under Mother Nature herself. Then again, until now he had never heard of Alese. The pooka paused when her steps came to a hault, looking to see that they were in fact standing at the very thicket that she had hid in before. Bunny glanced back at the way they had came. How did she know where to go, especially in the dark? His rabbit tunnel had popped them up in a completely random spot within the forest.

"I'll be fine for the night if you want to leave" she said, bringing the pooka from his thoughts.

"Awe no. If North found out I left'ya here by yer'self I'd neva' hear the end of it" Bunnymund replied firmly, shaking his head. Alese gave a tired shrug, crouching to easily slip under the narrow opening, Bunnymund soon following. The inside was quite large despite the look of the shell, but cozy as the rabbit crouched on the soft furs, moss and various hays that made up the floor of the den.

"Pick a spot and rest" Alese said from within the darkness, his ears indicating she wasn't but a few feet off, a dim silhouette curled on a mound of furs. Bunnymund didn't argue, laying on a particularly soft area and allowing himself to drift off.


	6. Chapter 6

The morning air was particularly brisk that morning as Bunnymund trailed behind Alese. The pooka hardly took notice of the late autumn air due to the protection from his fur, however this left him to question how the spirit before him could not only walk around in an open skirt, but also completely barefoot without so much as shivering. He watched her long, brown hair lift in the soft breeze that blew by them, carrying the scent of the sleeping forest around them. He couldn't hold the question anymore.

"Ok, how exactly are ya' not freezin' yer'bum off dressed like that" Bunny blurted out, drawing the female's attention, her steps pausing to look up at the male.

"Why doesn't Jack get cold?" she asked back, making Bunnymund give her a look of slight bewilderment, one ear perking forward.

"Frostbite's a winter spirit. Wouldn't make sense if the bloke got cold"

"Exactly. It wouldn't make sense, being a forest spirit, if the seasons were able to hinder my ability to do my job. Instead, my body adapts to it" she explained, turning to continue on her way through the trees. When she put it that way, it did make sense but at the same time it left Bunny to wonder how she managed to take care of the forest year round without help. The spirit didn't appear to have helpers like the rest of them.

"So, where are we goin'?" he asked watching as two squirrels played a game of chase across their path.

"I patrol regularly through a different forest every few days or so, depending on how the weather is or during the hunting seasons. Right now I'm just making sure everything is as it should be" Alese replied, reaching out to graze her hand across the bark of a tree. Bunny watched as the particular plant almost seemed to illuminate under the soft touch, as if waking just long enough from its slumber to say hello. Even with this happening right in front of him, the pooka was beginning to have doubts about Alese's ability to protect herself, much less children.

Just the night before she had fled, rather than staying to fight them off. Given she had been a bit of a challenge to corner but who was to say this female could even fight at all. Bunnymund's eyes trailed back down to her right leg where the bandage was still wrapped snug. Being injured, there really was no telling what Alese could really do. For all he knew the reason she had ran could have been because of the arrow Pitch had struck her with. Something else also occurred to the rabbit, but the rising questions without answers were beginning to give him a headache so he pushed them all back and concentrated on the task at hand.

Hours ticked by as the two made their way through the forest, the sun eventually beginning to wain in the sky, making a familiar shadow fall around them. Most of the time, there was only peaceful quiet with the occasional glance toward one another. Bunnymund slowly came to appreciate their silent conversations, using only their eyes and sometimes a quirk of a smile. It was definitely different in comparison to when he spent time with the other guardians, especially with how loud North and Jack could be. Sure, Sandy was quiet too but there was a much more unique presence to the female spirit. It was more tranquil, comfortable and made the pooka at ease despite still not having complete trust in the girl.

Suddenly there was a sharp wisp of air between the rabbit's ears, making them pin back as a bird swooped between them, its wings narrowly brushing the fur.

"Aye! Watch yer'self there mate!" Bunny snapped, touching one of the sensitive appendages, watching the cardinal perch itself on Alese's shoulder, chirping rapidly at the girl. Thrown off by the strange behavior, he looked to the female spirit who seemed to actually be listening intently to the small creature until it finally flew off.

"What was his problem?" Bunnymund mumbled to himself, watching the bird until realizing that his charge had begun to march at a much more rapid pace through the dried leaves, "Hey, hey sheila where ya' goin'?"

He actually had to somewhat hop to keep up with her power walk which slowly started to turn into a jog. Glancing down, the male started to worry slightly that the injury may reopen with the strain.

"He said there was someone in the forest and they haven't left for the last few hours"

Bunny's eyebrow quirked questioningly.

"He _said_? You understood that?"

"Forest Spirit Bunnymund. I can understand all of them" she replied, taking a turn before pausing to listen, bringing a finger up to request that he not speak. The Easter Bunny's ears pricked, keeping at attention for any sounds that didn't belong.

"Mommy! Daddy!" came a faint, whimpering cry, the trees almost seeming to swallow the tones that would allow them to pinpoint where it was coming from. Bunnymund could feel his heart drop into his stomach.

"A child.." he whispered under his breath, glancing down to Alese who hadn't so much as budged from her place, even her expression keeping a stern blankness. Did she actually care that there was a little one trapped somewhere within her forest looking for a way out? He felt something begin to boil its way to the surface at even the thoughts of this woman so much as considering leaving the boy or girl on their own.

"We have to-" he began to say louder, however a slender finger shot to his lips.

"Shh." Alese almost ordered, her senses searching through the forest for what she was looking for. Silence. Then further deafening quiet. _There!_

She took off so suddenly that Bunnymund barely managed to spring into a dead sprint right behind her as they raced through the trees at a steady pace. One minute. Two minutes. After around three Alese came to a sudden stop, dodging into the bushes and grabbing Bunny's paw with a firm tug for him to join her. Not twenty yards away a little boy with brown hair sat on the damp grass with his legs pulled up to his chest, resting back against a rotting tree. He couldn't have been no older than five, his fluffy blue jacket wrapped securely around him, but it wouldn't be long before the temperature would drop for the night, rendering it almost useless. His sniffles and cries echoed softly through the air, jerking at Bunnymund's heart.

"We gotta do somethin" he stated, beginning to raise from his spot before Alese stopped him, standing in his place, "Wait, the children don't believe in you"

"You're right, they don't" she replied softly, her hand resting for a moment on Bunnymund's shoulder before walking out of the bush. The Easter Spirit could only furrow his brows, unable to understand how she was going to help a child that couldn't even see her, that is, until her body began to shift.

Before his eyes Alese's physical form started to give off a soft light, slowly transforming into what appeared to be a deer, its fur mostly the standard brown, however with scattered paintings of white. Carefully, this new form began to approach the boy who, once hearing the faint sound of her hooves against the dried leaves, looked up, his expression changing from despair to curiosity. Seeing that he wasn't afraid, Alese continued to take her time approaching, head lowering once close enough to touch her cold, wet nose to his cheek.

Wiping his running nose on the blue sleeve of his jacket, the little boy gave a smile and reached up to pet her head. Bunnymund, still hiding within the bush, was thoroughly confused and filled with yet more questions that held no answers. How was she able to go from completely invisible to children, to this? Before the pooka could think further, Alese had the boy nudged to his feet, letting him hold onto her fur as the two began to walk through the darkening forest.

Keeping to the shadows, Bunnymund followed, keeping a close watch on the two until there was the sudden, distant sound of foreign voices.

"Justin!" came a female voice.

"Justin!" came yet another, accompanied by at least three or four others.

"Mommy?" came the little voice of the boy, his tiny hand squeezing onto the fur of the deer that had been keeping him company. In the distance there were small lights flickering through the growing black, most likely flashlights of the search party that had came looking for the boy, now known as Justin.

"Go to your family" a very soft voice whispered right next to him, almost startling the five year old until his eyes shot up to see that he was no longer holding onto fur, his fingers gripping instead onto a gentle hand. Alese gave a sweet smile, kneeling beside the awestruck child to pet through his hair before the same hand gave a tender push to his back, encouraging him forward.

"Mommy! Daddy!" he yelled, after a moment's hesitation, charging full speed through the brush, stumbling and tripping at first before the party heard his voice and came running.

"How?" A whisper asked from behind her, Alese turning to see a touched, and highly confused Bunnymund standing over her, his expression something that the female could barely give a name to. Her eyes trailed back to the happy cries in the distance, the same smile as before still staying on her lips.

"I've had many children wander into my forests. It's true, I can't save every single one, but I do my best to at least help the search parties" Alese said quietly, turning to start walking back toward the thicket for the night. A firm paw suddenly stopped her advance.

"But how did he see you? How did you suddenly get him to believe?" Bunnymund's voice raised slightly, unable to contain the mixed emotions welling up from what he had just witnessed.

"When there's not a drop of hope, what's left in its place? It doesn't seem important, but its what makes them _have_ hope" slowly, Alese began to walk again, continuing to explain, "What you saw was my second form. Children are pure, untainted, just as animals are, so to the little boy back there, I looked very real"

"But how did he see _you"_ Bunnymund questioned again, his paw making a gesture toward her current human-like state. Alese couldn't help but allow a small smile toward his reaction.

"To be honest, I'm not completely sure. When I find them, after a while when I turn back they just can" she replied with a shrug. Bunny, however, stayed in quiet thought as the two made their way toward the thicket.


End file.
